Who is Mostafa Shobeir? Egypt goalkeeper denied Messi, Argentina early
Updated July 7, 2026, 3:45 p.m. ET
Editor’s note: Follow along for updates and highlights from the Argentina-Egypt World Cup match.
ATLANTA ― Mostafa Shobeir made making a name for himself at this World Cup.
The Egyptian goalkeeper had an excellent tournament as Egypt has reached the round of 16, but he took his reputation to a new level in Tuesday’s match against Argentina.
Shobeir was a brick wall during the first half against the defending champions, making four highlight-reel stops. The 26-year-old had impeccable instincts, deflecting multiple strikes as Argentina tried its best to break through his rebuffs to no avail.
Egypt took a shocking 1-0 lead at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but it appeared Argentina would equalize when it was awarded a penalty in the 21st minute.
However, Shobeir went down to his left to deny Lionel Messi, as the Argentina star missed a penalty for a second consecutive game. The denial stunned Argentina fans into silence, with hands on their heads in full surrender to the moment, and sent Egypt fans into a frenzy.
Later in the half, Shobeir made an even better save, denying Julian Alvarez what looked like a sure goal.
Unfortunately, Shobeir could not hold back all of Argentina’s advances. The Argentine national team stormed back in the second half thanks to goals by Cristian Romero (79th minute), Messi (83rd minute) and Enzo Fernandez (90th minute + 3)
Who is Mostafa Shobeir?
Shobeir came up through the academy of Egyptian power Al Ahly and has won several trophies with the club, including three Egypt Premier League titles and three African Champions League crowns.
The 26-year-old is making his World Cup debut in 2026 after taking over as Egypt’s starting goalkeeper. He’s also the son of former Egyptian national team goalkeeper Ahmed Shobair, who played in the 1990 “Irish draw”, 0-0, with the Republic of Ireland.
Shobair was booked for repeatedly wasting time in the match, and the game was later seen as a catalyst in introducing the back-pass rule.
Crédito: Link de origem